Infant Orangutan Seized in Thane to Be Repatriated to Indonesia
Context: Why in News?
An orangutan seized from an apartment in Dombivli, Maharashtra, in November 2024 is expected to be returned to Indonesia. The repatriation process involves legal proceedings and coordination between Indian and Indonesian authorities.
Key Highlights
- The male orangutan was confiscated by the Thane Forest Division in November 2024 from an apartment in Dombivli. Other wildlife suspected to be linked to an illegal trafficking network was also seized.
- Following its seizure, the animal was shifted to the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC) in Gujarat for care and rehabilitation.
- Indian authorities coordinated with Indonesian officials to secure the necessary permissions and clearances for the animal’s repatriation to its country of origin.
- A Supreme Court appointed High Powered Committee (HPC), led by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Deepak Verma, was involved in the process of relocating the orangutan to a suitable rehabilitation facility.
Key Concepts
- Orangutans: Great apes native to Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia. Their populations face threats from habitat loss, fragmentation and illegal wildlife trade.
- CITES: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora regulates international trade in species listed under its appendices. Orangutans are included in Appendix I, which generally prohibits commercial international trade, subject to specific provisions of the Convention.
- Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: India’s primary legislation for wildlife conservation. It provides for the protection of wildlife species, regulates wildlife trade and establishes enforcement mechanisms against wildlife related offences.
- Wildlife Trafficking: The illegal capture, possession, transportation or trade of wild animals and their derivatives. It threatens biodiversity and may also increase the risk of zoonotic diseases.